Last Chance
by RedRaiderHottie
Summary: AU Amy and Ricky had given up their son for adoption and went on to live their separate lives. 10 years later, John sets out to find his real parents. Can their son bring Amy and Ricky back together?
1. Chapter 1: Running Away

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**Summary: AU Amy and Ricky had given up their son for adoption and went on to live their separate lives. 10 years later, John sets out to find his real parents. Can their son bring Amy and Ricky back together?**

**AN: Ok, so I know this is not even one of the three ideas that I told you about but it was the freshest on my mind and so the inspiration to write it was more abundant. As for my other three story ideas, I've planned to try and write all of them at the same time. All of the first chapters have already been outlined now it's just a matter of writing them out. The same for the next chapter of 'Stranger'. Please, just be patient with me – with school and work, I try to write whenever I can.**

**Special thanks to vampire-cookie-01, HyDrOpYrO777 and secretlifexxx for taking the time to message me. I love and appreciate hearing from my readers.**

**And of course, thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**… **

**(sorry for the super long author's note)**

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**Chapter 1: Running Away**

John slowly opens the back door, peeking inside to make sure the kitchen is empty. Tip-toeing inside, he turns around to quietly close the door.

"WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" John's head snaps back and he falls against the door from the blow of his father's hand. _Adoptive step-father, _he silently corrects.

"Nowhere," John whispers, reaching up to wipe away the blood from his now busted lip. John feels himself being lifted into the air. He begins to struggle, trying to break the hold his father has on his shirt collar.

"Now you listen to me, kid. This is my house and you are going to follow my rules. If I catch you sneaking into this house after midnight again, you're dead." As his father releases him, John falls to the ground and curls to a ball, anticipating the hard kick aimed at his legs.

After a few minutes, John uncurls himself and sits up against the door. A determined look forms on his face as he looks around the dim kitchen. Standing up, he grabs a bottle of water from the counter and then quickly makes his way to his room.

He closes and locks the door before pulling out a folded piece of paper from the back pocket of his jeans. He unfolds it and stares at the information on the page. John's friend, Mikel, who is 6 years older than him, was a computer hacking genius and he had spent the last 5 or so hours searching California State adoption records. John smiles slightly as he reads over the paper, two names in particular popping out at him.

_Biological Mother: Amy Juergens_

_Biological Father: Richard Underwood_

John didn't know why his parents gave him up for adoption. All he knew was that his mom had adopted him before he was even born. When he was three she had met his now step-father and they married a year later. Then when he was 7, his mom died of leukemia, and he was left to live with his step-father, who never let him forget that he was adopted and not really his son. That's when the abuse started – but tonight would be the last of it.

John opens his closet and pulls out a duffle bag and fills it with clothes. Going back into the closet, he lifts a loose floorboard and reaches inside. He pulls out a bag of money. It wasn't much – just what he's saved from mowing lawns and what he's managed to steal from his step-father. Stuffing the money into the duffle bag, he hides the bag under his bed. Getting ready for bed, he thinks about how tonight will be his last in this house.

* * *

Amy Boykevich walks into her house behind her 5-year old daughter, Melissa. "Mommy, I'm hungry!" the little girl shouts as she runs into the house.

"Ok, sweetie, let's get you a snack," Amy says enthusiastically, following her daughter into the kitchen.

"I want apples!" Melissa squeals as she climbs onto one of the stools at the island counter. Amy nods her head, grabs some apples out of the fridge and proceeds to wash and slice them.

"How was school today, sweetie?" Amy asks, placing the plate of apples in front of the girl.

"It was great," Melissa starts as she grabs a piece of fruit and starts chewing on it. As Melissa babbles about school, Amy goes about cleaning the kitchen. They then move to the living room, where Amy watches Melissa do her homework, which was nothing more than writing out particular letters of the alphabet.

Amy then returns to the kitchen and begins to prepare dinner. She has just put the roast in the oven when she hears the front door open and Ben announce, "Daddy's home!"

"DADDY!" Melissa squeals, running into her father's arm.

"Hi, princess! How was your day?" Ben eagerly asks as he carries the girl into the kitchen.

"It was great, Daddy," she answers and then continues to babble about it as Ben leans over to kiss his wife of 6 years.

"I love you," he whispers into Amy's ear before moving to place Melissa onto a stool.

"Daddy, you're not listening to me," Melissa whines.

Ben kisses the top of her head. "Yes I was, sweetie." He looks over at Amy. "And how was your day, Amy darling?"

Amy smiles. "Great as always. I have the best students – so eager to learn music," she laughs.

"That's good to hear," Ben also laughs, turning on the TV.

Amy's mouth drops as a missing child report flashes across the screen. It isn't so much the fact a child is missing that shocks her, but the familiar features of the child in the picture.

* * *

"Honey, I'm home!" Adrian announces, laughing as she walks into her house. Rolling his eyes, Ricky walks out of his home office.

"How was work?" Ricky asks after giving his wife of 2 years a kiss.

"Ugh," Adrian sighs as she walks into the kitchen. "Why did I ever think working with my father would be a good thing?"

Ricky laughs, sitting at the kitchen table as he watches his wife begin to prepare dinner. "I'm sure it isn't that bad." Adrian rolls her eyes as she chops up peppers and onions.

"How was your day?"

Ricky shrugs. "Mostly paper work. I'm worried about this one kid, though. Tommy Oliver."

Adrian's brow furrows. "Why?"

"He's been moved from foster home to foster home but his file is very vague about why. He's about to turn 15 and I'd like to sit down with him and figure out what's going on."

Adrian smiles, proud of Ricky's work with child protective services. "Can you turn on the news please?" she asks, pulling a pot out of one of the lower cabinets. Ricky nods as he grabs the remote and flips through the channels until he reaches the local news.

As a robbery report ends, the words "Missing Child" flash across the screen accompanied by a picture of a boy. This immediately captures Ricky and Adrian's attention. The news anchor reports:** 10-year-old John Collins was last seen by his father yesterday morning, leaving for school. However, he never showed up at Jefferson Elementary. It's still unknown whether or not John was abducted but if you have any information regarding John Collins' whereabouts, please call 818-123-4567.**

Ricky turns to face Adrian, a frown marring his face. "It kills me to see and hear news like that."

"I know," Adrian says softly, smiling sympathetically before she goes back to the pot on the stove. _Knock Knock Knock._ Adrian looks over at Ricky confused. "Are you expecting someone?" Ricky shakes his head as he leaves the kitchen to answer the door.

* * *

AN: Well, that's the first chapter. Hope you like it. REVIEW and let me know what you think.

-Nichelle


	2. Chapter 2: Our Son

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: Thanks to those who reviewed: maggie, meijkej, Maiqu, Shailene101, toni, deejaymcknight, br00kel0veswildfire, soren919, FishFace4LIFE, morgan, darensgirll, hawksgirl2481, HyDrOpYrO777, stormdog11, MORE?, jailenestefanluvv-01, katiegirl10, harmonious, anna, heather, tay, jared, linda, allison, leona, SEL, max and thanks to the 23 people who subscribed to this story and the 16 people who put it on their favorites.**

**And of course, thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**… **

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**Chapter 2: Our Son**

_Knock Knock Knock._ Adrian looks over at Ricky confused. "Are you expecting someone?" Ricky shakes his head as he leaves the kitchen to answer the door.

Ricky opens the door and smiles. "Danny! What are you doing here? Come in, come in."

"Thanks," replies Daniel, a fellow social worker. He steps through the door and into the living room.

"So, what's up?" Ricky asks as he takes a seat and motions for Danny to do the same.

"Unfortunately, this isn't a personal call. There's this case I'm working on where the kid went missing. You may have heard about it on the news."

"Oh yes, John…John Collins. Have they found anything else in their investigation?" Ricky leans forward in his seat, steepling his hands together.

"Well, this case was originally brought to me about 2 weeks ago, when teachers were starting to suspect abuse at home."

"Ah, so you're thinking he's a runaway," Ricky intercedes knowingly. Danny nods. "Ok, so what does that have to do with me?"

"Well, I have reason to believe that the boy will try to make contact with you in the near future."

Ricky's eyes widen as Adrian steps out of her hiding place. "Why do you think that?" she asks, moving closer to the two men.

Danny looks up at Adrian briefly before returning his gaze to Ricky, who seems frozen in place. "Well, in my research I discovered that John was adopted."

"You've got to be kidding me," Adrian interrupts. "Please, please tell me you're not saying what I think you're saying," she pleads.

"My son," Ricky mumbles, barely audible.

Adrian stares down at him. "What did you say?" she asks, frustrated.

Ignoring his wife, Ricky looks up at Danny, he's eyes unreadable. "John," he sighs, "he's my son, isn't he?"

Danny nods, "Yes, yours and…"

"Amy…Amy Juergens," Ricky says softly. Adrian rolls her eyes and crosses her arms.

"Yes, I was planning on calling her after I talked to you."

"Can I?"

"What?!" Adrian explodes angrily.

"Call her?" Danny asks, eyeing Adrian warily. Pulling a piece of paper out of his pocket, he hands it to Ricky. "Yeah, I guess. Here's her number."

"Thanks," Ricky says, taking it. "I'll walk you to the door."

After letting Danny out, Ricky heads back into the living room and picks up the house phone.

"NO!" Adrian shouts, snatching the phone out of his hands.

"What the hell?!" Ricky exclaims. "What's your problem?!"

"What's my problem? What's your problem?" Adrian repeats, annoyed.

Ricky crosses his arms and shakes head. "What are you talking about?"

"You. Calling Amy. What the hell are you thinking?" Adrian seethes.

Ricky smirks. "You're not jealous are you?"

Adrian narrows her eyes at him. "Of the mother of your only child? Of course not. But why do this? Why dig up the past?"

Ricky walks up to Adrian and runs a hand through her hair and down her back. Leaning forward to give her a kiss, Adrian turns her head and Ricky ends up kissing her cheek. "I have to do this," he says in a calm, soothing voice.

"Why?" Adrian asks, almost pouting.

"Because she has the right to know – he's our son."

"But that's where you're wrong," Adrian insists. "He's not your son. You gave him up for adop…"

"Biologically," Ricky interrupts. "Biologically, he's our son. Whether you like it or not, he's my flesh and blood."

"Well, I don't like it," she claims.

"That's too bad," he says, walking away from her and towards his office. Pulling his cell phone out of his back pocket, he holds it up for Adrian to see. "I'm calling Amy," he says before going into his office, closing and locking the door behind him.

* * *

After eating dinner, they went into the living room to watch TV – the missing child seemingly forgotten for the moment. Melissa lies – half asleep – on Ben's lap while Amy leans her head against his shoulder.

_RING. RING. RING._

"Hello," Ben answers the phone.

"_Can I speak with Amy, please?"_

"Who's calling?"

"_Ricky."_ Ben sits up a little straighter.

"Ricky who?" Ben asks causing Amy to sit up and stare at him curiously.

"_Ben? Is that you?"_

"Um yeah, why do you need to talk to Amy?"

"_Just give her the phone, please. It's important."_

Ben places his hand over the mouthpiece of the phone and looks over at Amy. "Why in the world would Ricky Underwood be calling you after all these years?" he whispers. Amy shrugs and holds out her hand. Sighing, Ben gives her the phone. With a tight smile, he picks up Melissa and carries her upstairs.

"Hello," Amy says carefully.

"_Hey, Amy, it's Ricky. Ricky Underwood."_

"Oh. Um. Hey. How are you?"

"_I'm good. And you?"_

"I'm good, I guess. Was there a reason you called?"

"_Um, yeah, actually…I just don't know how to tell you this."_

Amy stands and slowly paces around the room. "This has nothing to do with that missing child, does it?" she asks nervously. "I mean he looked so familiar, but…it can't be." Ricky sighs deeply. "He is, isn't he – our son."

_Yeah…our son. We need to talk._

* * *

Mikel walks into the room and tosses a bag of food at John. "How long are we going to do this?" Mikel asks tiredly as he sits down next to John with his own bag of food. John shrugs his shoulders. "Seriously dude, what's your deal? We've been trying to find your real parents for years. And now, all of a sudden, you're what? Scared?"

"No," John snorts defensively. "I'm not scared."

"Then what's the problem?"

"It's just…they gave me up once, you know. They didn't want me."

"Oh," Mikel sighs, nodding his head. "You're afraid that they won't want you now either."

John runs his hands through his hair. "Yeah, I guess." They both open their bags of food and start to eat. For a few minutes, it's quiet except for the creaking sounds of the old abandon warehouse they'd been staying in. "Why do you think they gave me up for adoption?" John suddenly asks.

Mikel looks over at the younger boy with sad eyes. "Well…considering their birthdays…and if I've done the math right…and I did…then they were my age when they had you." Mikel shrugs his shoulders. "Maybe they couldn't handle the idea of being parents when they were just kids themselves."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," John sighs. "I just…I wonder sometimes if they ever loved me…if they ever even considered actually keeping me before they signed me over to someone else." John leans back against the wall behind him and closes his eyes. "Considering the last few years of my life, teen parents don't sound so bad."

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**AN: Well, hope you liked it. REVIEW and let me know what you think.**

**-Nichelle**


	3. Chapter 3: Hi, Hello, Goodbye

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: So sorry this took forever to update…What can I say – school and work – busy busy busy lol**

**Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed!!!! -- TVAddict10, mysterywonder, deejaymcknight, Vampirekissesx908, Miss. Creativity, meijkej, Maiqu, Mary, HyDrOpYrO777, justin, ashley, Priyu0624, brianna, nina, cj, harmonious, vanessa, AUSTIN, charlie, *!^#)(%, FishFace4LIFE, Norah, bex, emily, fred, George, Daren, BetweenTheTreesXx, Elena0017**

**And of course, thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**… **

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Chapter 3: Hi, Hello, Goodbye

"I can't believe you're actually going through with this," Adrian shouts as she stares down at Ricky sitting at the kitchen table. Ricky rolls his eyes and continues eating his fruit loops. "Are you even listening to me?" she yells, putting her hands on her hips.

"Of course I am," Ricky mumbles, taking a sip of his apple juice. "You've just been saying the same thing since last night."

Adrian's jaw clinches. "You just don't care, do you? You don't care about how this is making me feel."

"Don't be ridiculous," Ricky sighs, dropping his spoon into the empty bowl. He stands from his seat, walks over to the sink, and rinses out the bowl. After drying his hands, he leans back against the counter, facing his wife. "I don't understand why this is bothering you so much," Ricky states simply. Adrian throws her hands up into the air and stomps out of the room, frustrated. Chuckling softly, Ricky shakes his head and follows her into the living room. Adrian sits in the middle of the couch with her arms and legs crossed. Ricky moves to sit on the recliner. "Seriously, what do you think is going to happen? It's not like I'm just gonna see Amy and fall in love," Ricky laughs.

Adrian rolls her eyes, lips forming a scowl. "That isn't funny," she growls.

Ricky stops laughing but his smile remains on his face. "Just explain to me what your problem really is."

Adrian sighs, shrugging her shoulders. "I…don't…know," she says slowly. "I just…I just don't like it. It's like you have this whole other family or something out there and now that it's popping back into your life…well…where does that leave me?"

Ricky sits next to Adrian and wraps his arms around her shoulders. "You're my wife," Ricky insists. "And yes, I have a son…and yes, Amy just happens to be his mother, but at the end of the day I **married** you. I love **you**. So, please, stop worrying. Just trust me." Adrian relaxes slightly. He leans forward and kisses her softly. "I love you," he whispers.

Adrian smiles vaguely. "I love you, too."

Ricky kisses her forehead. "I gotta go now," he says while getting up from the couch.

Adrian frowns as she watches him gather his things and head for the door. "Bye" she sighs, unheard by Ricky as he walks out the front door.

* * *

"Stop splashing, sweetie," Amy sighs. She kneels next to the tub, rinsing off her daughter.

"Yippee!" Melissa squeals, slapping her hands against the water. Amy shakes her head, smiling down at the 5-year-old girl.

Amy stands, grabs a towel off the rack, and pulls Mellissa out of the water. Drying her off, Amy walks into her daughter's room. After placing her on the bed, Amy goes into the closet and pulls out a pair of jeans and a blue shirt.

"I wanna pink one," Melissa pouts. Amy rolls her eyes but reaches into the closet and pulls out a pink shirt with a rose on it.

"You're going to the aquarium today with daddy," Amy announces as she helps Melissa into the clothes. Hand-in-hand, they walk out of the room and down the stairs.

"Are you coming too, mommy?" Melissa asks.

"No, sweetie, mommy's got something else she has to do today," Amy answers as they walk into the living room. Melissa runs over to Ben and jumps into his lap.

"Spongebob, daddy, spongebob," she squeals excitedly. Ben changes the channel and Melissa moves to sit on the floor in front of the TV, smiling happily. Ben stands and walks over to Amy.

"Can I talk to you for a sec?" he whispers to her. Amy nods and they walk into the kitchen.

"What's up?" Amy asks as she opens the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. Taking a sip, she leans back against the counter and looks over at Ben.

"So…you're still planning on meeting with Ricky today?" he asks.

"Yup," she replies, taking another drink of water.

"Why?" Ben asks, moving to stand in front of his wife.

"Why not?" Amy retorts, shrugging her shoulders.

"This is ridiculous," he sighs loudly, moving to lean against the counter opposite her. "Why now? What difference does it make?"

Amy narrows her eyes at him. "It makes all the difference in the world. It's my son."

"But what about me – what about Melissa?" Ben argues.

"You two are everything to me," she insists. "I love both of you very much…"

"But…" Ben interrupts.

"But," Amy sighs, "there's a part of me that also loves my son. I always have and in the back of my mind I always wondered 'what if'. What if I had kept him?"

Ben runs his hand through his hair. "You and Ricky?"

Amy scoffs. "Is that what you're worried about? Ricky?"

Ben nods his head slowly. "Shouldn't I be worried? He was your first after all."

Amy laughs harshly. "Now who's being ridiculous? After all these years, you're still jealous of Ricky?" She laughs again and walks out of the kitchen and into the living room, followed by Ben.

"Goodbye sweetie," she says softly as she bends over and kisses Melissa on the forehead. "Have fun with daddy." She walks over to the front door, barely glancing at her husband. "Bye, Ben," she states flatly over her shoulder as she walks out the door.

* * *

John and Mikel lean against the wall with a map of the city spread out in front of them. "Your father's house is closer," Mikel says, pointing, "so, I say we go there first."

John looks up at Mikel and shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know," he says slowly.

Mikel rolls his eyes. "You're not backing out of this are you?"

"No, no, of course not," John insists urgently. "It's just…"

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Mikel interrupts, waving his hand dismissively. "Would you rather see your mother first?" he asks, staring down at the map and pointing at the general location of where Amy's house is.

John runs his hands through his hair and shakes his head. "No, let's just do the one closest to us today." Mikel nods his head and folds up the map. Standing, they grab their bags and leave the abandoned building. They walk a block to the nearest bus stop.

"We'll take the 91 first and then at the station we'll switch over to the 27," Mikel tells John. John nods and steps closer to the curb as the bus approaches.

30 minutes later they get off the 27 bus and 5 minutes later they stop in front of a modest one-story house. "This is it," Mikel says, shrugging his shoulders. John takes a deep breath and takes a few steps toward the front door. "I think," Mikel starts, causing John to stop and turn to look at him. "I think you should go in alone."

"What?" John asks, slightly scared and almost looking like the 10-year-old he is.

"It's ok, I'll be right here," Mikel assures him, "but this is probably something you should do alone." John sighs deeply, nods his head and then continues to slowly make his way to the front door.

* * *

Amy pulls into the park parking lot and is surprised to see Ricky already sitting at a picnic table, waiting for her. It's been almost 8 years since she's last seen him, but other than being older, he still looks practically the same.

"Hi," she greets as she walks closer to him.

"Amy…hey," Ricky says as he stands and looks her over. "Wow, you look great. It's been a long time."

Amy chuckles softly. "Obviously not long enough – still the same charmer I remember."

Smirking, Ricky rolls his eyes and holds up his left hand, showing off the silver band on his ring finger. "I am married now."

Amy laughs and presents her diamond adorned ring finger. "Surprise, surprise…so am I."

"And how is old Benny boy?" Ricky asks as they sit at the table, across from each other.

"He's good – a great father and husband."

Ricky raises an eyebrow. "Father?"

Amy nods her head. "We have a 5-year old daughter."

"Ah," he sighs, "that's cool."

"Yeah," Amy agrees. "Do you and your wife…"

"No," Ricky interrupts. "Adrian and I don't have any kids."

"Adrian?" Amy scoffs, remembering the former majorette. "How long have you two been married?"

"2 years," Ricky answers. "What about you and Ben?"

"Almost 7 years."

"Hmmm, married right out of high school?" Amy nods. "So, what do you do?"

"I'm a stay at home mom. You?"

"That sounds like fun," Ricky smirks. "I'm a social worker."

"Really?" Amy asks, her eyes slightly bulging. "So, you have inside info on…" Amy's words fade as a frown forms on her face.

"Yeah," Ricky nods his head slowly.

"Tell me."

Ricky frowns, thinking about the contents of the file he had managed to convince Danny to give him. "Remember the lady we choose to adopt John?"

"Yes, um…Sarah…she was perfect," Amy exclaims.

"Yeah, she was," Ricky agrees. "Well, she ended up marrying this guy – Steve Collins – when John was about 3 years old. Then, 2 years later she was diagnosed with leukemia."

Amy gasps, her hands going up to cover her mouth. "She…she…she died?"

Ricky's frown deepens as he stares down at the picnic table. "2 years later when John was 7."

"Oh my gosh, poor John," Amy claims, her eyes becoming watery.

"That's not the worst of it," Ricky says softly, staring down at his clasped hands.

"What do you mean?"

"A colleague of mine was assigned to John's case about 2 weeks before he ran away."

Amy's jaw drops. "You mean…he ran away because…because he…he was…" Amy stops when Ricky looks up at her. At the sight of his bloodshot eyes and tear stained face, Amy holds back a sob as tears begin to fall down her face.

Ricky wipes at his face with the back of his hand. "There are no specific details," he continues hesitantly. "His teachers had been suspicious of physical abuse for a while now and finally reported it."

"His…his father?" Amy chokes out.

Ricky nods, a scowl now marring his face. "Adoptive step-father," he corrects, almost growling. "They think the abuse started after Sarah died."

Ricky watches as Amy buries her head into her crossed arms. For a few seconds, he listens to her sobs as his own tears spill down his face. Slowly, he stands, circles around the table and sits beside Amy, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"What was the point?" Amy mumbles, shaking her head as she lifts it and looks at Ricky. He remains silent, his jaw clenching as he stares down at Amy. "Was it all in vain?" she continues.

Ricky closes his eyes and runs his free hand through his hair. "I don't know," he mutters, as more tears fall from both their eyes.

* * *

John knocks on the door, steps back and stares down at his fidgeting hands. Adrian opens the door and her eyes narrow at the sight of the boy. "Can I help you?" she asks sharply.

John's head snaps up and his eyes widen as he looks up at Adrian. "Um…can I…um…is Mr. Underwood home?"

Adrian crosses her arms and leans against the doorjamb. "You're him, aren't you?"

John's brow furrows in confusion. "Excuse me?"

"You've got some nerve, you know, just showing up like this," Adrian claims, her tone harsh.

John frowns and steps back unconsciously. "Um…I um…is um…"

"What did you expect to find? Your precious daddy waiting with open arms?" John's mouth drops open at her tone as he shakes his head slowly. Behind him, a curious Mikel slowly makes his way closer to them. Adrian grimaces as she glares down at Ricky's son. "You never should have come here. Ricky doesn't want you – he never did."

Tears sting John's eyes as he stares up at Adrian. "I'm sorry to have bothered you," he mutters before turning to face Mikel behind him. "Let's go," he says to the older boy. They walk back toward the street, hearing the door slam behind them.

* * *

Amy and Ricky sit quietly, their tear-stained faces staring straight ahead. With both of her hands, Amy wipes at her face. "I use to dream about him," she says softly, staring off into the distance.

Ricky smiles softly, turning to gaze at Amy. "Me too," he says. "I just wanted him to have a better life than I did." Ricky's hand slams down against the picnic table causing Amy to jump slightly. "Sorry," he whispers, "it just pains me to think of what he had to go through."

"We didn't know this would happen," Amy reasons, looking up at him. "We...I mean, I thought we were doing what was best for him."

"I know," Ricky sighs.

"What do we do now?" Amy asks.

"We find him," Ricky answers, "or wait for him to find us."

"And?"

Ricky's brow furrows. "I don't know," he replies honestly. "I just want to make sure he's safe. That's all that matters to me right now."

Amy nods her head in agreement. "Thanks for telling me."

Ricky smirks slightly. "Thanks for listening." They stand from the table and Ricky walks Amy back to her car. "If I hear anything I'll give you call."

"Ok, thanks again," Amy says as she leans forward and wraps her arms around Ricky in a small hug.

"No problem," he says, returning the hug. "Bye."

* * *

Across the street from the Underwood home, John and Mikel sit on the ground, hidden behind some trees. A notebook in his lap, John focuses on writing something.

"A car just pulled into the driveway," Mikel says suddenly, peering around a tree trunk. John looks up Mikel, placing his notebook aside. He gets up on his knees and looks around the tree at Ricky getting out of his car.

"That's him," John sighs sadly. Mikel frowns, looking down at the younger boy.

"What are you going to do?" Mikel asks quietly.

"Nothing," John mutters, picking up the notebook again as he continues writing. Five minutes later, he tears the sheet of paper out and folds it neatly. On the front, he prints 'Mr. Ricky Underwood.' John stands and slowly walks back over to the front door of Ricky's house. He puts the letter in the mailbox beside the door before lightly placing his hand against the door. "Goodbye," he whispers dejectedly before turning around and gloomily walking away.

* * *

**AN: Well, I hope you liked it. My beta called me cruel for this chapter, lol. This was a very hard chapter to write, especially the end. Pobresito John. REVIEW and let me know what you think.**

**-Nichelle**


	4. Chapter 4: Notes of Goodbye

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: Thanks everyone who has read and reviewed: Maiqu, :D, LaLa Baby95, soren919, harmonious, HyDrOpYrO777, kitcat2525, lolalicecullenlmfao **

**And of course, thanks to my awesome friend and beta J**_**azzy**_**… **

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Chapter 4: Notes of Goodbye

Ricky walks into the living room and all but collapses onto the couch. Adrian walks in with her arms crossed. "You've been crying," she observes, noticing his slightly red-rimmed eyes.

Ricky shrugs his shoulders as he looks up at his wife. "It was an emotional encounter," he replies sarcastically. Adrian rolls her eyes and sighs, still annoyed that he went to see Amy in the first place. Ricky ignores this. "Did you check the mail yet?" Adrian shakes her head and leaves the room without another word.

Ricky watches her go before getting up and grabbing the mail. Flipping through the stack of envelopes he heads back toward the living room. Ricky groans as he glances at the envelope containing his credit card bill before moving it to the bottom of the stack. He then stops short at the sight of a folded piece of notebook paper, now atop of the stack. Frowning, he drops the other mail on the coffee table and slowly drops himself onto the couch, all the while staring at his name sprawled across the front of the paper. His frown deepens as he opens it and begins to read:

_To Mr. Ricky Underwood,_

_There's no right way to really tell you this and even now as I write this, I feel like I'm taking the coward's way out. I really probably should tell you this in person but maybe it's just better this way._

_I'm your __son__._

_There's a chance you won't even believe me. Or maybe you will. The reason I'm telling you this now is because I wanted to meet you. I still do. But I've realized how crazy I am to ever think I could ever start over in your life. With you and my mom. You don't want me. I doubt either of you do. I guess you never did since you ended up giving me away. And I think I'm ok with that now. At least I got to see you once, even if at a distance. _

_This is my __goodbye__._

_-John_

_P.S. Despite everything I've been through, I thank you and my mom for giving me life. I'll always love you for that._

* * *

John and Mikel sit at a bus stop several blocks away from Ricky's house. John has his head buried in his hands while Mikel stares sympathetically at him. "What now?" Mikel asks, leaning back against the bench. John shrugs his shoulders and shakes his head within his hands. "Wanna go try your mother?"

"No," John gasps, sitting up to stare at his friend.

Mikel's brow furrows. "Why not?"

John sighs. "I just…I can't…I don't wanna…"

"…be rejected again," Mikel finishes. John's body sags in defeat as he nods his head in agreement. "So you're just gonna give up?" Mikel asks, becoming frustrated with the younger boy. John nods. "After all our hard work," he continues. "That's it? Just because some vapid … told you some B.S."

"What's the point?"

Mikel glares at him. "So it was all a waste of time? My time. I left the shelter and my life behind just so you could just give up." John remains quiet. Mikel shakes his head irritably, stands up and quickly walks away.

At first, John seems to be frozen in place. However, not even a minute later, John jumps off the bench and chases after the older teen. "MIKEL WAIT…PLEASE…I'M SORRY…" Mikel freezes at John's outburst and waits for him to catch up to him.

* * *

Still on the couch, Ricky holds the letter in his clenched fists as he stares unseeingly at it. Slowly, he closes his eyes as the sound of footsteps alerts him to his wife's entrance.

"What's wrong?" she asks. He flinches at the sound of her voice.

Eyes still closed, "What did you do?" he asks coldly, the anger he feels barely contained.

Adrian crosses her arms defensively. "What are you talking about?" Ricky can hear the denial in her voice but it's the sound of indifference that causes his rage to boil over.

"YOU DID THIS," he snaps, his voice full of venom, as he jumps to his feet and shoves the letter into her face. "YOU RAN OFF MY SON."

"Calm down," Adrian sighs as she drops the sheet of paper to the floor. "I did what I had to."

Ricky growls as he turns his back on her and begins to pace the room. "You're unbelievable," he says, his voice several decibels lower than before. "What did you tell him?"

Adrian shrugs her shoulders. "The truth…that you don't want him…never did."

Ricky spins on his heel and with three steps is in Adrian's face. "THAT'S A LIE AND YOU KNOW IT," he rages as he unconsciously grabs onto her arms harshly.

"Let go of me," she complains. He does and she takes a step back. "What's wrong with you? The way I see it, I did you a favor." Ricky stares at her incredulously. He then grabs the letter off the floor and his keys before heading toward the door.

"Stop doing me favors," he seethes, slamming the door as he leaves.

* * *

Amy sits on her couch, silently staring at her freshman year yearbook and the picture of her pregnant self. Ben and Melissa walk into the house then. "Mommy!" Melissa squeals as she runs into her mom's arms.

"Hey, baby girl, how was the aquarium?"

"It was so much fun," the little girl giggles. "We saw big fish and little fish and blue fish and mean fish…"

"Really!" Amy enthuses. "I'm glad you had a good time." Mellissa hugs her mom again before running off to play.

Ben sits next to Amy and picks up the yearbook. Smiling, he runs his fingers over the picture of Amy. "So, how'd it go with Ricky?"

Amy wraps her arms around her body and shrugs her shoulders. "Ok, I guess."

"Just ok," Ben asks, putting down the yearbook and turning his body toward his wife. "That's all you have to say?"

"What else is there to say?" 'Cept John is my son – mine and Ricky's." Ben is about to reply when there's a knock on the door.

"What do you want?" is Ben's greeting when he opens the door to find Ricky standing there.

"Who is it?" Amy inquires, coming up behind her husband. "Ricky?" she says, a bewildered smile forming on her face. It turns into a frown as she takes in Ricky's expression. "What's wrong? Is it John?" she asks, panicked.

Ricky nods his head. "Can we talk?"

* * *

At the park, Amy and Ricky sit side by side at the same picnic table they were at before. John's letter is laid out on the table in front of them. They had read the letter together and Ricky told her about Adrian. Amy shed some tears and as well as a few choice words about Ricky's wife. Now they sat quietly, lost in their own thoughts. Amy's head cocks to the side as a particular thought crosses her mind and she turns to face Ricky.

"I always wondered, why me?" Amy muses as she stares shyly at Ricky. "I mean, with all the other girls you always used protection. Even with your _wife,_" Amy stumbles over the word.

"Adrian," Ricky grimaces, nodding for Amy to continue.

"Yeah, well…even with your wife of 2 years and yet, still no kids?"

Ricky shrugs his shoulders softly. "My past is always haunting me and I doubt I'd be any good at being a father – for fear of turning out like my own."

"Yet you surround yourself with kids in your work."

"To protect them," Ricky insists fervently, closing his eyes. "To make sure what happened to me doesn't happen to anyone else."

"I think you would have made a great father," Amy whispers. Ricky's eyes snap open and he stares at her in astonishment. "I know you would have been a great father to John," she continues softly, unconsciously leaning in closer to Ricky.

Ricky smiles slightly, also leaning in closer. "You would have been a great mother also. I bet you're a great mother to Melissa," he voices, his mouth a mere inches from Amy's.

"Thanks," Amy sighs just before the distance between their lips disappears. Ricky's hands move to rest on Amy's hips as she wraps her arms around his neck.

"No," Amy gasps as they both pull back at the same time. "This is…we can't…"

"We can't do this…" Ricky breathily agrees.

"Right…" Amy takes a deep breath, "…cause we're married…"

"Yeah…to other people…"

"Yeah…so…"

"So…"

"Goodbye," they say simultaneously, as they stand from the bench and head toward their cars.

Ricky glances at Amy. "So…if I hear anything…about…"

"About John..." Amy nods.

"Yeah…um…I'll call you."

"Yeah…ok…same here…"

They both reach their car. Amy waves softly as Ricky mouths 'later' and they both get into their vehicles and drive off in different directions.

* * *

"This is it," Mikel announces as they stop in front of the Boykevich home. "Nice digs," he adds. John looks up at him and rolls his eyes. Mikel just laughs as he urges John forward. "Come on, let's do this. And remember, no matter what happens, you still got me."

John smiles at him as they reach the front door and he knocks on it. The door opens to reveal 5-year-old Melissa. John's mouth drops in shock but he recovers quickly and kneels down in front of her, smiling gently. "Hi, is your mommy here?"

Melissa shakes her head. "She left with some man," she says shyly.

Suddenly, Ben appears behind Melissa. "Sweetie, what did I tell you about opening the door without me?" Melissa just smiles sweetly before pointing at John, who is now standing. "How can I help you?" Ben asks curiously.

John just shakes his head and starts to walk away backwards. "I…I'm sorry to have bothered you," is all he can say before turning around and continuing down the paved path. Realization hits Ben as he watches the boy go and just as he's about to call out to John, a car pulls into the driveway.

John freezes as the driver side door opens and Amy steps out of the car. As he stares, bewildered, one thought floats around in his head.

"Mom?"

* * *

AN: I hope you liked it! Please REVIEW and let me know what you think!

Also, so that there's no confusion: I never mentioned that Mikel had been living at a youth shelter before but I thought it was fitting since there was no big deal about him also being missing since he's 16 and about to be 17.

-Nichelle


	5. Chapter 5: Family Reunion

**Disclaimer: **_**The Secret Life of the American Teenager**_** and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: I am so so so very sorry for the year long plus wait for this very overdue chapter. Thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed and has patiently waited for this chapter to arrive. **

**This chapter is unbetad…so I apologize for any mistakes…**

**Chapter 5: Family Reunion**

"Mom?"

Amy freezes, hearing the softly spoken word. Looking up, she stares at the boy standing a few feet away from her. She easily recognizes him, not only because of the picture from the missing child report, but also because of the traces of Ricky and herself she sees in him. Without a second thought, Amy closes the distance between her and John and eagerly wraps her arms around him. Overwhelmed, all John can do is wrap his arms around his mother's body as tears begin to fall down both their faces.

After a few minutes, Amy looks up and sees Ben and Melissa staring at them. Although he appears calm, Amy can see the slight jealously in her husband's eyes. Slowly, Amy holds out her left hand, revealing her cell phone. Reluctantly, Ben steps forward and grabs the phone, nodding his head at his wife's silent plea.

Ben turns his back on the mother and son reunion as he goes to the contacts and selects Ricky's name.

_Amy?_ Ricky asks when he picks up.

"No, it's Ben," he replies.

_Oh. Is something wrong?_

Ben shakes his head, momentarily forgetting that Ricky can't see him. "John's here," he says simply, causing Ricky to gasp just before the line goes dead. Ben hands the phone back to Amy, who smiles at him gratefully. Ben slightly returns the smile before subtly pointing out Melissa and nodding at the house. He picks up Melissa, whose curious eyes continue to stare at John and her mother. Passing Mikel, Ben motions for the teen to follow him. As they walk into the house, the sound of a car pulling up can be heard.

* * *

Ricky sits in his car, staring at Amy and their son hugging. It was weird – when he got the call from Ben, all he could think about was getting here to see his son. But now that he was here – he was frozen.

His reverie is suddenly broken by the vibrating of his phone. Looking at the screen, Ricky frowns – practically scowls – when he sees Adrian's name. He ignores the call and slowly gets out of the car, leaving his phone on the passenger side seat.

John looks up when he hears footsteps walking toward them. Upon recognizing Ricky, John freezes, worried about his father's reaction.

Amy looks up when she feels John tense up in her arms. "Oh," she sighs when she spots Ricky coming closer. Amy kneels down and looks up at John, holding his hands in her own. "John, this is your father." She looks at Ricky and adds, "I think we all need to sit down and talk." John looks up at his father, then back at his mother, before slowly nodding his head. "Ok," Amy smiles as she stands. "The park?" she suggests as she looks at Ricky. With a nod Ricky agrees and they head for his car.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ben, Melissa and Mikel sit around the living room. Melissa is quietly playing with her dolls in the center of the room, while Mikel and Ben stare curiously at each other.

"So who are you, exactly?" Ben asks.

"Uh…I'm Mikel…a friend of John's," Mikel awkwardly replies.

Melissa jumps up from her spot on the floor and stands in front of Mikel. "Hi! I'm Melissa!" she greets happily.

Mikel smiles as he relaxes in the presence of the little girl. "Hello! And how old are you?"

Melissa gives a toothy smile as she holds up her hand, fingers spread out. "I'm five. How old are you?"

Mikel laughs. "I'm 16."

Melissa makes a face. "Wow, you're old," she states before returning to her dolls.

"Yeah, you are old," Ben comments. "What is a 16 year old doing handing out with a 10 year old?"

Mikel shrugs. "I'm an orphan sir, and I live at this shelter that also serves as a community center for kids who don't want to go home in the afternoons. I met John there 3 years ago and we've been friends ever since." Mikel frowns slightly. "He's the little brother I never had but always wanted, and all I want to do is protect him. That's why I helped him find his real parents and run away."

Ben is about to reply when his cell phone starts ringing. His brow furrows curiously when he doesn't recognize the number. "Excuse me," Ben says to Mikel as he stands. "Hello," he answers the call as he walks toward the kitchen.

* * *

Once again at *their* table at the park, Amy sits beside John while Ricky sits across from them. "I'm so sorry," Ricky starts. "I'm sorry for my wife and what she said to you. She was completely out of line and clothing she said was true."

John can only nod his head as he looks back and forth between his *father* and *mother*. To be honest, John was completely overwhelmed. Even though it was his goal to find his real parents, to be actually sitting here with them was something beyond his wildest dreams.

Unknowingly, John's eyes begin to fill with tears. Seeing this, Amy wraps her arms around him. Ricky stands and walks around the table to sit next to John. He wraps his arms around both Amy and John. John's body starts to shake as he begins to sob. Amy and Ricky just hold him closer.

Ricky looks up and his eyes connect with Amy's. Staring deeply into each other's eyes, Amy gives a slight smile. "No matter what," Ricky says softly, a smile also gracing his face, "we'll get through this together."

* * *

**AN: I'm sorry that it's short. I had planned for more to happen in this chapter but I really just wanted to post something for you guys sooner than later.**

**-Nichelle**


	6. Chapter 6: Time for Reality

**Disclaimer: The Secret Life of the American Teenager and all its characters are the sole creation of Brenda Hampton. I OWN NOTHING.**

**AN: I'M ALIVE! I apologize for the super duper long wait. Life has been crazy! Got a promotion at work! This means I'm busier than before and of course I'm still in school. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed and patiently waited for this chapter. If you're still reading this, you're the best! **

**This chapter is unbetad…so I apologize for any mistakes. Also this chapter is a bit short; I just wanted to post something to let you know I haven't given up on my stories.**

* * *

**Chapter 6: Time for Reality**

_Where is he? _

"Who?" Ben asks, as he pulls open the refrigerator door and stares inside.

_Don't play with me! Where is he?_ the person on the other line angrily repeats.

Ben smirks as it dawns on him who he's speaking to. "I don't have the slightest idea of who you are referring to. Could you be more specific?" Ben grabs a couple of juice boxes out of the fridge and places them on the counter.

_Ben? _Adrian seethes.

"Yes, Adrian," Ben says nonchalantly, shaking his head. "And no, I don't know where Ricky is."

Adrian sighs. _How can you be so calm about this…this situation?_

Ben rolls his eyes. "I trust my wife. Don't you trust your husband?" Adrian lets out a frustrated yell before promptly ending the call. Ben shrugs his shoulder as he pockets the phone, grabs the drinks and heads back into the living room.

* * *

Ricky pulls away from the two and grabs his phone off the table. As he stands up, Amy looks up at him with questioning eyes.

"I need to make a phone call," he says softly, causing John to also look up at him.

"To who," Amy inquires.

"A colleague of mine – John's caseworker." John frowns. "It'll be ok, trust me." Ricky walks a couple of feet away as he calls up Danny.

_Hey Ricky, is everything ok?_

"Yeah, um, everything's great, it's just that, uh…" Ricky pauses as he turns to look at Amy and John.

_What is it, man?_

"We um, we found John. Or he found us actually."

_Seriously? _The excitement and relief is clear in the social worker's voice.

"Yeah," Ricky confirms, smiling. "Now what."

Danny clears his throat. _You need to bring him to the office. We need to do all the paperwork, get his side of the story, and inform the police and his father._

Ricky cringes at that last bit. "His father?" he says flatly.

_Yeah, its procedure. But you know I'll do everything in my power to make sure John is safe. Remember he's the priority no matter what happens. _

Ricky nods his head. "Yeah, I know. Well, I guess we'll be seeing you at the office in a bit." He hangs up the phone and walks back to the table.

"Now what?" Amy asks upon his arrival.

Ricky sits down beside John and wraps his arm around his shoulders. "We need to go down to my office and meet up with Danny." Amy and John nod their understanding and the three make their way to the car.

The ride to the CPS office was comfortable, with one exception.

"Do you want me to answer that?" Amy asks, referring to his phone which was ringing for the fourth time.

Ricky sighs as he quickly glances at the phone sitting in a cup holder. "No, it's just Adrian," he says with a roll of his eyes. Amy frowns, still upset at what Adrian at told John. However, when the phone rang for the fifth time, she just couldn't take it anymore.

"Just answer it," Amy says firmly, "maybe it's an emergency."

Ricky shakes his head. "I seriously doubt that, but if it bugs you so much, than you answer it."

"Whatever," Amy exclaims as she grabs for the phone. "Hello, this is Ricky's phone," she says in her sweetest voice.

"WHO THE HELL IS THIS?!" Adrian explodes at the sound of the female voice. Amy pulls the phone away from her ear, throwing a hand over her mouth as she begins to laugh. "HELLO? HELLO? RICKY? WHAT THE HELL?"

Amy takes a deep break in an attempt to control her laughter as she puts the phone closer to her ear. "I'm sorry but Mr Underwood is currently driving right now, how can I help you today?" Ricky rolls his eyes and smiles brightly at the sickly sweet tone Amy is using. In the review mirror he can see John silently giggling.

"I'M GOING TO ASK YOU THIS ONE MORE TIME – WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU USING MY HUSBAND'S PHONE?"

"This is Amy, how are you today Adrian?"

"AMY F****** JUERGENS? YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF-"

"Oops, sorry, I think you're breaking up," Amy interrupts before promptly hanging up the phone. Amy looks over at Ricky with a teasing smile. "I think she's a little mad."

"A little, you think?" Ricky deadpans, causing all three of them to burst out laughing.

The three are still laughing when Ricky pulls into the parking lot and they make their way inside. As they turn a corner, John suddenly freezes, his laughter dying in his throat. Amy instantly drops to her knees beside the boy.

"John, what is it? What's wrong?" John shakes his head as he just stares at something in front of them. Amy looks in the direction and sees a man standing there, watching them. "Do you know that man, John? Who is it?"

"He's…he's my…my step-father…"

* * *

**AN: And that concludes chapter 6! Hope you liked! Again I'm sorry for the surreal long wait, and I plan/hope to be getting my other stories updated soon as well. Thanks for reading!**

**-Nichelle**


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